


Let Us Love, In Reverse

by AndroidTwin (LolaDiBlack)



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, Bucky Is Trying, But now is not, Feels, Fuzzy Cuteness, Human Experimentation, Kid Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Science, Slow Build, This was supposed to a mini-bang, Tony Does a Thing, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, pop culture references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2016-10-06
Packaged: 2018-08-19 21:50:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8225848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LolaDiBlack/pseuds/AndroidTwin
Summary: When your team currently consist of a Sythezoid and a Highschooler, you make plans; tons of them. Not one of those plans included stumbling upon a human experimentation lab, Tony becoming a parent or James Buchanan Barnes. Now, he had to use that phone. (Or WinterIron babies without Mpreg)





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, and welcome to this massive story.  
> This is my contribution to Tumblr's [ WinterIron Bang](http://winterironbang.tumblr.com/) and I wanna make a few notes first; 
> 
> 1) Let Us Love, In Reverse wasn't supposed to be this long but all the same the plot wouldn't have it any other way.
> 
> 2) I wanna thank [Thepansexual-pagan](http://thepansexual-pagan.tumblr.com/) for being an amazeballs darling and reading and making notes and the encouragement. To [Arwenxs](http://arwenxs.tumblr.com/) for all the amazing editing and cheering on. You girls are wonderful!! (and to all of you that let me ramble about this. Thank you!!!)
> 
> 3) To the wonderful artists for taking a chance on this adventure: [Ashpi](http://ashpi.tumblr.com/) and [Knowmefirst](http://knowmefirst.LiveJournal.com). Thank you!!
> 
> 4) So, against my wishes; this story is going to be divided in two parts instead of the one-shot it was supposed to be. 
> 
> With that, I give you:
> 
> Let Us Love, In Reverse
> 
> Enjoy!

 

 Wallpaper by [ashpi](http://ashpi.tumblr.com/post/151431328377/let-us-love-in-reverse-by-androidtwin-summary)

* * *

 

 

Tony woke up, bleary eyed and tired. He dragged himself into the kitchen, refusing to give into his bodily urges; coffee first. After powering the machine into brewing the extra large pot, he gave in and made his way to his bathroom and back again. Perhaps he paid more attention than was necessary to this daily process. The compound was so achingly empty and no matter how sassy F.R.I.D.A.Y. got, the banter couldn’t rival what he used to have. Tony shook his head and moved along with his daily routine, in the peripheral of his awareness there was a niggling sensation, like after such a mundane looking day he’d never be the same again.

He really had to stop tweaking the B.A.R.F.

Tony was elbows deep in circuitry when Vision phased into his workshop, he looked up from under his lashes at the android-man and sighed forlornly at his work, and to think he was actually looking forward to remaining in his element.

“Come on, Vision.” He said and brushed the back of his hand over Vision’s bicep in some form of camaraderie. At least that’s how they both saw it, a bit of contact to remain tethered. “You can brief me on the way.”

“It would be wise to alert the young Spider. Lest we want a repeat of last month.”

Aw, how could he forget? Peter apparently took the Accords Debacle as a Carte Blanche freaking blanket permission to tag along into missions -if they happened to be close by- and last month, Tony and Vision were in the middle of handling a threat when the little Spider-Monkey’s barbs reached the comms. Tony almost had a heart attack. After properly chewing out Peter and then forcing upgrades to his onesie and other pertinent stuff, he had sent the kid on his way and decided to reward himself with some scotch. Goddamn, he felt old.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. let the cheeky arachnid know.”

“Now you have me playing messenger, what’s next I wonder.”  His A.I. was such a sassy motherfucker, Darwin’s Balls! He’d ask if she had woken on the wrong side of her circuits but there was no time for that kind of banter. “Do you want me to update your grocery list while I’m at it, Boss?”

“Fry-” Tony wished he had the time and ease to quip back and forth with her, but there was no time. And these days he was his own back up, so needs must. “Just do as I tell you.”

Perhaps his mood was obvious, enough that Vision had taken to walking besides him, rather than hover inches above the ground as he was wont to do. The synthezoid’s deep voice surrounding him like a blanket of wise calm. “We are headed for the Thule Air Base in Greenland. There has been reports of recent activity at the abandoned launch site for Nike-Hercules missiles.”

Tony side eyed Vision in askance, this whole thing just didn’t make sense at all. “Just why are we being called to do P.I. work? Hell, it’s an old Military haunting, why aren’t they on this?”

Vision had already taken the co-pilot seat, -the pang of nostalgia was non-existent nowadays and they had developed a good system, Vision was his own humanoid creature, with the lingering traces of J.A.R.V.I.S. and human Jarvis’s dapper wardrobe choices, but his own creature all the same.- opened the docket with various images of the place. Tony repressed a shudder when Siberia slammed into the forefront, the place looked dead, void, cold and echoing; piles of snow in the cervices and the last place Tony would pick for anything, really. “It details vast inputs of electricity, also sporadic and scrambled incoming messages.”

“Any type of encryption?” They were already in the air, if it weren’t for their after school special Spider, they would have been over the coast. As amazing as Parker was, flight wasn't an ability he possessed, hence the jet. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. is my arachnid underling ready for extracurricular pick-up?”

“Make a left on your next high rise, Boss. I must warn you about your concerning habit of picking up deadly strays, you might catch sumtin’,” Why must she sass him so? Tony even caught Vision’s well hidden amusement, the traitor. There was a minute tug that pulled the jet, F.R.I.D.A.Y. finished her line while the hangar door started to open. “Like that.”

“At least he is vaccinated!” Not bothering to turn his head, instead setting the coordinates for Qaanaaq, Greenland. If this were a normal flight it’d take almost six hours to reach the Air Base that, of course, had to be so close to the fucking North Pole he could feel his balls getting frostbite.

_-~*~-_

“Hello, Mr. Stark, Vision.” Peter’s twisted peppiness bringing a small smile to his face, the kid was smart, and kind hearted. He was also a pain in Tony’s ass and had a habit of mouthing off to the bad guys. It warmed the cockles of his heart, to be honest. “Still spreading rumors about me, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?”

“Who do you take me for, boyo? One of your bag-o-chips classmates?” F.R.I.D.A.Y. snipped and Tony saw, in the best interest of all parties involved, to intervene before another AIs of his went rogue.

“All. Right. Children.” Tony made sure to punctuate the words, it helped divert the attention and focusing it on him. “Our destination is set, so let’s try to keep our wits about us. Talking to you, Fry-beam.”

“What’s the 411?” Peter, is an eager -albeit superpowered- 16 year old, a high school teenager, a baby smart ass; he is a kid, Tony reminds himself in order not to faceplant into the consoles. It doesn’t help, much. “I’ve been practicing and I have some sweet sweet moves in my arsenal.”

“You look like you had way too much sugar for breakfast _and_ lunch, simmer down restless kinder-genius,” said Tony, while Vision silently examined their given evidence a little closer, most likely looking for something that warranted being called -have their legal leash yanked, ‘this the way, boys’- to freaking Greenland. “Up to now the mission remains under RECON, which means that you are only, and I mean solely, allowed to engage if the status changes. Under my orders and from-”

“A distance, yes, I know.” Peter droned, now sitting right behind Tony. “And since I’m not an Avenger that means I remain unseen. For we mustn't allow word getting out that someone that doesn’t even have a learner’s permit to get caught slinging about. I know!”

Tony is torn between proud and really annoyed. He points at himself, then at Peter, the wiseass, with the universal “I’m watching you” signal and for good measure, also points upwards to include F.R.I.D.A.Y., before he turns to run calculations and re-hone plans.

_-~*~-_

If inclined to answer, Tony would say the Mark XLVIII was codenamed “Hera’s Helper” after re-reading old Greek myths, since Argus seemed like a reliable guy, with all those eyes on him. So it had nothing to do with the shortage of team members and the imperative need to have eyes everywhere, scanning for tech savvy goons or anything.

After touching ground in Thule Air Base, Tony and Vision (Peter, on his back- since it would only take a variation on mass to drop him at his convenience,) take to the skies to shorten the trip to the snow covered ghost museum. There was some dreaded sense of deja vu at entering a place where weapons of mass destruction and the people that worked with them had once been. This time, there weren’t any friends and possible allies and world-turning secrets, no, this time there was only the echo of his presence.

Perhaps he’d been so wrapped up in looking for threats and letting the still too fresh wounds bleed over, because Peter’s voice through the comms was like a bucket of ice cold water. Fuck, he knows he can’t get introspective, it’s too fucking dangerous.

“-I think I’ve found out why there’s an outrageous electricity bill.” Peter’s words dwindled to nothing. The readings he was getting alerted him of the kid’s elevated heartbeat and location; Tony headed to the sub-basement like a bullet in order to get to Peter.

“Up, now!” barked Tony as he got to the landing. Peter didn’t even give a token protest as he followed the order. Vision had already phased through the floor, in front of Tony.

The whirring of still functioning machines was a sign, that not too long ago, the base had been occupied. That, and the horrifying rows upon rows of little pods, and what looked like miniaturized cryochambers. If Peter’s still jack-rabbit heartbeat wasn’t clue enough, Vision’s widened eyes would have told Tony. He wasn’t gonna like this, at all.

He should listen to those foreboding tugs he gets sometimes.

Turns out, those little pods; artificial wombs. They, whoever they were, had been cooking babies by what looks like the truckload. Neo’s freak out in freaky womb-pod doesn’t seem so farfetched anymore. And Tony wants to puke. He has F.R.I.D.A.Y. scan for heat signatures as he wanders over to Vision. Tony looks left and right, where some of the monitors are off and the wombs are empty, Peter slinks above them, even if he’s freaked out. Some recon mission, fuckdamnit!

Tony is a man of science, of proven methods, of advancing technology, he’s all for futuristic progress but this is… This…

“Not Viable.” That sign caught him, as if he was no more than a moth. He stepped out of the suit because there were progress notes, and various applicable theories at work. As Tony skimmed over the detailed work, he read chromosome counts, physical development and ultimately, the failure; his already weakened heart plummeted. “Vision? Vision, please tell me there are no names, tell me these are the work of a sick group of brilliant individuals trying to create life without getting biblical, tell me that.”

Vision had never looked more human, it made Tony itch with the want to dress the sythezoid in his favorite cardigan and marathon Iron Chef, Barefoot Contessa, and Emeril. If only it would erase that lost expression off his purple face.

“The hardcopy on my side indicates, the vacant chamber was that of a Romanrogers fetus of approximately 11 weeks of gestational age-” Tony closed his eyes as Vision read him the facts that deviated in some places but the end result was pretty much the same. “Deemed ‘Not Viable’ after this.”

“This one is-” Tony stops, tries to swallow the stone that has formed in his throat and plows on. “Vision, this one says it was a successful splice ShieldHawk. The fetus was in developmental stages; 15 and a half weeks. Vision...”

“Mr….IronMan, want to fill in the rest of the class.” Peter cuts through the haze with trepidation. Fuck. Tony would be feeling so proud of this kid, you know, if he wasn’t having a bit of a meltdown. “Please?”

“Manners, I like it.” It’s an automatic response, like a defense mechanism, not to be thought about, like the FUBAR situation they are amidst of. “This young padawan is the work of Frankenstein’s minions. Now listen to me, you will remain glued to that ceiling while Vision and myself sweep this B-rated horror movie come to life.”

Vision started working on the right side, seeking something substantial, any type of signature that might lead them to who, or which or where. Tony put down the folder in his hands down, waiting for Peter’s confirmation. “Are we clear?”

“Like the Hudson?” Peter quipped. “Yeah, this is so...I mean, I- yeah I’ll stay here. This looks like that creepy scene when the guy is kinda born again…”

“The Matrix, kid.”

“But I thought…”

“This is worse though,” Tony sighed, weary and tired. “Believe me, this is so much worse.”

“Worse than that thing that happened a couple of months ago?” Peter played a bizarre 20 squared questions with Tony, while he moved along the rows upon rows filled with artificial wombs and failed attempts at creating life with engineered DNA, the suit following close by. Some were no bigger than a tadpole, some had developed almost to full fetuses. The image of tiny still hearts will follow Tony into his nightmares.

The names, though. Somehow they, whoever these bastards were, had gotten a hold of blood samples of the former Avengers. More than once Tony had to remind himself to take a breath; WidowHawk, SkyWard, GammaShield, GammaHawk and so on. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. deploy Wedge, French, Crinkle and Tater to all 4 corners of this frozen hellhole and have them suck the last byte of information out and then I want them to fry the servers beyond recognition.”

“I want it noted that naming them that is still not amusing, Boss.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. did as told, even as she berated his witty pun names for the gang of tech-mercs he’d created and delegated over to her.

“Tony.” His heartbeat spiked. Maybe later he would pinpoint this as the moment when his fate was irrevocably changed, just like in that afghan cave. Tony moved towards Vision at the very end of the halogen illuminated basement and his heart stopped as Vision moved. After so many, too many, “Not Viable”s with the genetic makeup of his former teammates, he faced 3 cylindrical chambers all of them with a stats monitors. Inside, children in different stages of infancy, but alive, so alive he could have cried. “Tony?”

He wouldn’t even try to delude the truth, he was mesmerized by the beeping and the sight of children whole and alive, even if asleep inside those horrible tanks. He vaguely remembers asking, “Whose?”

Vision had not, well,existed, he was just over a year old, but by Tesla was knowledgeable! He closed one hand over Tony’s shoulder and then shook his world apart. “They’re yours, Tony.”

His?

 _They_ were _Tony’s_?

 _He_ had children?

After the fog cleared, Tony stood with his hands splayed over the cold glass of one of the neatly labeled tanks. He wondered fleetingly about the other parent, while he looked at a small body floating in what he’d bet is perflubron; no umbilical cord, a head full of dark hair that waved ethereal, 10 fingers and 10 toes, whole, complete, and Tony’s.

The euphoria he was experiencing was unexpected, one that he could only associate with flying the Mark II for the first time. Only this was more, much more. Tony’s brain whirled, he felt dizzy, adrift and there was something constricting around his heart as he drank it all in.

**Subject: 2014-11-7-2015-6-7**

**Sex: Female**

**Category: WinterIron**

**DNA 1: Stark, Anthony E.- Iron Man**

**DNA 2: Barnes, James B.- Winter Soldier**

**Method: Splice**

No air. There was no air and Tony came back to real time, unable to move his hand away from the glass, from the laboratory made human that carried his blood and… He looked to the others, the only difference was the subject serial and sex, but otherwise everything else remained the same: James Buchanan Barnes was responsible for the other half of chromosomes and genes.

“Tony?” asked Vision, in that ever wondering tone of his when faced with conundrums such as overlapping emotions that shift too swiftly for his eyes to study.

‘Compartmentalize!’ was the thought shouted, echoing in surround sound. “Any scientist worth their salt wouldn’t just up and leave all this behind. They’ll come back, they have to.”

“What is the plan?” When your only backup consists of a synthetic man that his basic code used to be your AI and a sixteen year-old with arachnid powers, you plan ahead. You plan like that time you took on the terrorist group that shoved you headfirst into the ugly side of your creations. You have contingency plans for your contingency plans, damn it, you used the alphabet and then the periodic table to name them, 'cause there's no one else to do the job.

But there's no strategy or premeditated action or anything really, not for something like this. “Hey Spiderman, look alive!” Tony says as he steps into his suit. “I’m breaking them out of here and your job’s to make cocoons outta your web for them, keep them snug and safe.”

“Got you.” Peter says and sets to work with laser focus on his task.

“Vision, finish the scanning of this place. Anything that might give us a clue of who might be dealing with. I’m halfway convinced we can trace this back to old testament HYDRA/S.H.I.E.L.D. but with all the cooks that have come out of the woods in the past few years, one just can’t be sure.”

So, trusting them with their respective tasks, Tony takes a steadying breath and sets to pull the babies from the tanks. “Fuck, my babies. Mine.” He mutters, because he can’t not or the last thread holding him to sanity would snap and he couldn’t lose his everloving shit just yet. He’s unable to hold back the jarring thought. ‘Mine and _Barnes’_ . Not now, not now. Later, _Anthony_ , focus!’

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. monitor the vitals while I extract them, you hear.” There’s a jumble of emotions tangled in his voice; fear, awe, excitement, panic and an underlying anger. The A.I. forgoes her prefered witty retorts, giving him a simple but serious -“Loud and clear, Boss.”- Tony had hauled himself up onto the glass tank -and thanked his past self for taking up yoga,- he bent and stretched his arms in. There is no hesitation as he reaches down, then he makes contact -‘This is real’ he thinks- and curls his hands to pull. Tony coaxes the little body up and when it’s near the surface, he adjusts his grip and takes her out.

His hands are shaking a little as he holds her to his chest -one hand over her head, the other on her naked rump,- for an endless moment nothing happens but then… She squirms a little, clenches her fists and moves her head, -it feels soft against Tony’s hand- pulls back a bit, Tony does the same to gauge her reactions and then...she opens her eyes.

 

And Tony?

Tony falls irrevocably in love.

 

He really, really doesn’t wanna let go of her. She is soft and wet and fragile and _his_ , but they’re still in Qaanaaq, fudging Greenland, inside the clandestine lab where she and her siblings were made; They’re not safe here and so, Tony lowers her to his chest where the top of her head is underneath his chin and speaks: “Spiderman, how are those DIY-on-the-fly baby cocoons coming along?”

“There might be a future for me in the world of fabrics and fashion.” Peter says as he showcases what looks like blanket shaped mantillas. They’re in a pinch so to speak, so Tony says nothing as he hurries over and starts to swaddle the baby in Spider-Web blankies. Once she is settled, big blue eyes blink at him in askance and Tony bites his cheek in order to remind himself of ‘Later’. “Where did you learn the baby burrito wrap around?”

“Watch her!” Tony strides away and springs over the next cylinder.

“ **2015-01-30-2015-10-31** ” is a boy, that is clearly displeased with being removed from his slumber, he fusses and struggles in Tony’s hold. His eyes are brown like Tony’s own and the man can just feel it, the immediate fall for this stubborn baby boy. He tries a technique he saw a pediatrician try on a YouTube video and it sort of works. Tony repeats the song and dance of baby swaddling, cheek biting and turning away to get the other one. “Ok, junior, it’s you and me buddy. Oh bolt me! You’re tiny.”

So for “ **2015-07-15-2016-05-10** ”, he jumps inside the tank, doesn’t even think about his being submerged thing, because, Hello, tiny baby! But climbing out is a bit of a challenge with his precious cargo in tow. Tony, falls again for the eyes and the wail of a disturbed child he had to resist against the urge to lift him up like Simba, since data indicates that Mr. Tiny is no older than 2 months, Tony is especially careful and precise with the wrapping; making sure all of them were snug and calm.

Somewhere between baby 2 and 3, they had lost sight of Vision and Peter had perched himself on top of the table that held the babies, head turning from side to side and then downwards; like a superpowered watchdog/nanny. The eyes of the mask center on Tony as the fledgling superhero quips.  “The one in the middle is on the salty side.”

Tony huffs with honest amusement, takes a look at all the kids, including the one with the red and blue onesie and steps into the suit; all business then.

“Vis? Report.”

“I’ve found what seems like a special project here.” Vision’s voice is tight as if he too is much too tired for this. Ok, time to make like an egg and beat it.

“Fry, tell me your gang of rowdies are done.”

“Would you be wanting a sparks show to commemorate your parenthood as proof of efficiency?” He could hear the ‘bots wreaking havoc on the equipment and if the crackling was anything to go by, they were having the time of their robotic lives. “There you go, Boss?”

“Community college is too good for you and your lip.” Said Tony, marching towards Peter and the kids. “Spiderman,” This felt way heavy for a kid like Parker, even with the superstrength and other nifty abilities, but again, needs must. “I need you to take them, back to the ‘jet. I _need_ you all to get out of here about five minutes ago.”

“But...what about you?”

“What about me? I have a flying suit of armor, I’m good. You, on the other hand, don’t fly. So do as I tell you, I’ll be fine.” Tony shrugs as the scans only read them; Peter, the babies and him. Their presence is making him pricky and he wants them out of this nightmare now **now** _n_ _ow._

“But, you weren’t last time.” Fuckdamnit, fuck.

“Get. Them. Out!” He growls, there is growling involved and his hold on the thread is slipping and he needs to get a fucking grip, because he’s the actual -literal- grown up here. “We’ll be right behind you. Now, get!”

Tony doesn’t stand there to see if Peter does as told, he forces his body in the direction of Vision. Because this was his team and he had to make sure all of them made it home. “Vision?”

_-~*~-_

In the end it’s Vision, who loses it a bit and lays waste on the lab. Must be nice having an Infinity Stone embedded in your noggin, and going to town on shit when you are pissed off, even if you didn’t know you could be pushed like that. Anyway, Vision essentially pulverized shit with his mind and as promised; they were right behind Peter and the merry bunch of Starks. They also took a souvenir with them but who’ll tell?

Once they’re in the air, the tension is cut by fussing. Tony approaches Peter, who had been huddled with the kids and high strung as fuck. “Thank you, Peter.”

The kid’s eyes are so big and look so earnest, Tony resists the urge to pat him in the head. Vision would make sure they stayed the course, if he could keep a steady density, Tony had faith in him.

“No, really. This was something I haven’t seen ever. So Thank you, for keeping your cool and helping out.”

“I…-what- I mean, are they ok?” Peter stuttered a bit as if the adrenaline crash took his speech with it.

“I’m as lost as to whom, how and why. And the kids? I’m gonna have them checked out by a doctor and fed, burped and snuggled into burritos soon enough.” Hopefully before he lost his shit and Rhodey had to be called and then Pepper....Fuck!

“You’re a bit pale there, Mr. Stark.”

“You’re not looking too fresh yourself, beanpole.” The smiles were wobbly but it was something. His eyes shifted to the thing in the back of the ‘jet and Tony groaned inwardly. This was gonna be a shitstorm! But then he looked at his kids in Peter’s lap, ensconced by the superhero’s webbing and he thought ‘Worth it, though.’

_-~*~-_

“We are not going to the compound.” Tony said, looking at Vision’s quiet but pointed ‘Why the fuck not?’ expression. “Did we find who was behind it? No. Do we know? No. How the Hell did they get so many samples of DNA, Vision? We don’t know that either. Last but not least, because I’m still reeling a bit there, do we know our threats, our allies? The answer remains a resounding no.”

“Then, pray tell, how do we hide our findings from General Ross, Tony?”

“The same way we’ve been sneaking Peter into low-risk missions, Vision.” hissed Tony, and really, he wasn’t trying to be an arrogant know-it-all asshole. “Ross cannot be trusted, which is why the compound has scrambled ping-ponging signals, F.R.I.D.A.Y. has bug sweeps scheduled and _I_ have an underground way into the old Stark Mansion.”

There is some fussing in the background and Tony whips his head like a bloodhound with a fresh trail. He holds out his arms and then he is holding Mr. Tiny, rocking him gently side to side, getting him to settle just for a while longer, they’re almost home.

“The Tower has a sub-basement that wasn’t included in the blueprints. I drafted it with J.A.R.V.I.S. as an emergency route, never had to use it before and no one but us knew.” His voice is low but his tone is urgent, he really needs Vision to get this. “We’ll just dock at the Tower and you can go to the compound and get anything you need from there. I’m Pete’s after-school sorta boss, so that works if he leaves from here. I’d make my way to the mansion with the very very precious cargo. And maybe invite Rhodey over and dump all of this on him.”

“Which plan is this?” Vision asks, because sometimes, he’s an asshole.

“D, variation 12.” Answers Tony, ‘cause yeah, plans he got a plenty nowadays. He had a half cooked idea of how to get through this new hurdle, but no matter which path he thought of taking, it brought him to a dead stop at the same place: James Buchanan Barnes.

 

Fuck his life!

_-~*~-_

One awesome thing about being filthy rich and being, well, Tony Stark, was how quickly the world would re-accommodate for him; by world he means, all the suppliers he just bought baby paraphernalia from. Baby bottles, formula of all kinds, binkies, bibs, a shitload of diapers and wipes, shampoo, lotion, and baby clothes -all the baby clothes.- Tony can admit to himself, that maybe he went a bit nuts with the one-click purchases but he did need all that stuff.

There were trucks inside the mansion’s driveway, already unloading when Tony gave F.R.I.D.A.Y. the go ahead to open the doors. Tony was busy, trying to calm a hungry, cranky baby while his siblings started to look like they might join in. The key was to remain calm even when facing the imminent; Three hungry infants making their displeasure known and the calamity of not having enough arms.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., get Rhodey on the anti-spook line, stat.” He hasn’t been a parent for more than 4 hours -the whole stint didn’t take more than an hour, but human perception was a tricky thing at times,- the baby binge shopping had been done while in the air and delivery was guaranteed to take less than two, which means that in all reality Tony was still adrenaline high plus newly minted father high but he would need some help, because at some point he had to come down. Meanwhile, he’d keep doing his very best to hold down the fort. Rocking from side to side with baby #2 a.k.a. Mr. Grumpy “ _Cosa c'è, hai fame, bambino? Lo so, lo so. Ma non ti preoccupare, il babbo è qui e lui vi prenderà il latte presto. Purtroppo sara latte artificiale, carini. Vi chiedo scusa_.”

“Who are you talking to in Italian, Tony?” Rhodey’s voice was tinny in his ear and his tone was full of suspicion. “Why aren’t you showing me your face?”

How to phrase: “Went to investigate an old military base, came out with three lab made kids. They’re mine by the way and now I’m taking refuge in my childhood home that I had turned into a safe house after the Malibu Debacle and I don’t have enough hands.”? Tony looked at the scrunched up brow of the baby in his arms and sighed. “I can show you better than I can tell you, Honeybear.”

“Tony, I swea-” That’s as far as Rhodey got before Mr. Tiny made his displeasure known and started wailing. Rhodey was so silent, Tony had half the mind to ask if he was still there. “Why is, what is obviously a baby, crying in there, Tony? Did you steal someone’s child?!”

“Rupert!” ‘Cause his best friend was gearing up for a rant/interrogation and he had enough on his plate at the moment. So middle name usage is completely justified. “I told you, I can show you. Which means, get your sweet-n-sour butt over here.”

“Where is here, anyway?” asked Rhodey absently, before reminding Tony he was in trouble, “and don’t think I’m gonna let that Middle Name calling thing slide, Edward.”

“I’m at the old house.” He distantly heard the front door close and moved toward the box filled foyer, sending F.R.I.D.A.Y. what passed as a thank you when she laser pointed at baby bottles with one of her sensors. “Unlike some, I actually like my middle name, thank you. Now get here.” ‘ _Please.’_ “Evasive driving is highly recommended.”

“What did you do, man?” He could picture Rhodey, essentially gearing up, maybe bringing a weapon or two. Tony smiled a little at the image in his head as he pulled the bottles from the scalding water and set to prepare the formula. “-...so you’re warned, I’m calling Pepper.”

“Wha-Rhodey!” Oh shit.

No one appreciates his tone or his volume, as evidenced by his ringing eardrums as he hurries through mixing, pouring and testing temperature; one armed.  He manages, barely, but he does. There is some helpful data gathering too; The boys are the most vocal and the girl is calm as long as you are in reaching range, also she has no discernible motor skills. Tony breathes and goes about burping them.

So that’s what he is doing when Rhodey and Pepper get to the mansion, they follow a trail of boxes and packaging. Tony is sitting on a plush rug with sated (at the moment) infants, burping and swaying. They take one look at him and go about baby distribution; Rhodes on the couch with Baby Girl, Pep is standing with Mr. Grumpy and Tony has Mr. Tiny.

“Is this your mid-life crisis, Tony?” Pepper’s volume is belied by her tone. “Instead of sports cars, you got three kids?”

Rhodey hums as if he is seconding her questions, as if they rehearsed on the way over in between the evasive driving to shake possible “Not Romanoff” government agents and what they’ll have for dinner. Tony really, really doesn’t want to relay anything.

“I thought I made emphasis on the show part and have delivered upon too.” This got him their patent pending “Tony!” looks and he gave, not like there was much of a fight to begin with. “Ok, ok. First, I didn’t kidnap anybody, since technically they’re all mine. Second, you’re gonna help with bath time and dinner and assembly. Chop chop, little Starks had one heck of a day.”

_-~*~-_

“Don’t forget the olives, Tony.” Pepper reminded him as he played bartender. Since the kids have dropped off, under their watchful eyes.  

He was allowing himself two fingers of really good scotch, getting heavy duty martinis for Pepper and a pack of beer for Rhodey. They had taken to Tony’s being a father with ease but the rest was just...a bit much. He allowed himself a small but grateful smile, these people who still stood by him; his family.

“So, Barnes.”

“Oh God, Rhodey, do not.” Pepper sanctioned as she gulped down the Martini like a tequila shot, Tony didn’t shrug even if he wanted to. It wasn’t his fault or the kids, it was those bastards back in Greenland. “How is it that you get into these shitholes, Tony? How is it even possible? And the paperwork and NDA’s and…”

“Pepper, breathe.” Tony tried and handed her a second glass, which she gladly accepted. He looked at Rhodey and at his ex girlfriend/ light of his life and the set of their shoulders and their eyes; Pepper’s fingers tapping the glass in that unconscious way she had, to determine damage control and Rhodey’s posture, his spine ramrod straight, legs in braces position for action. His people. “If we don’t go at this calmly, I’m going to lose it, completely. I can’t afford to do that.”

“Tony, these people are going to track the kids down.” Rhodey sounded wary and weary, and old. Like all his years and missions had come crashing and weighted heavily on his bones. “And while we are more than capable of holding them back…”

“I know. I know.” Brushing a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose; the discomfort bringing him to focus. “I have to get that phone.”

Pepper, beautiful, fierce and wrathful Pepper, almost breaks the glass with the force with which she put it down. Her eyes looked aflame when she spoke, “What phone? The one Rogers sent you along with the Dear Tony letter? Oh, come off it, Tony. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about it?”

“I don’t doubt your godlike abilities, Pep.” Said Tony, making Rhodey huff a laugh, and Pepper dip her head.

“Smart man,” She acquiesced. “Still, Tony. Do you think is wise to have them involved?”

Ain’t that the ultimate doozy? “What I think doesn’t matter here. No, no, listen; Barnes is the biological father of these munchkins. It’s a fact and he is also a trained and very skilled assassin. Do I want him here? No. Is he an asset in keeping the children safe? Yes, and that will have to be enough.”

It was crystal clear that none of them wanted Barnes and those that’ll most likely follow, but needs must. Tony was nothing but pragmatic, he’ll deal. In the meantime, they would finish their drinks and watch over the sleeping kids.

_-~*~-_

Tony Stark never professed being a nice man, hardly thought of himself as good one even. In this case though, he watched the clock with glee. Somewhere on the other side of the world, in Wakanda, it was close to 3 in the morning. This was a good time as any to make _that_ phone call.

*__-~*~-__*

_Steve jumped out of bed like a shot; the telephone was ringing. Over the months that had gone by, he’d become less certain about it, about Tony calling them._

_But there it was, ringing inside the bedside table’s drawer, Tony was calling them, Tony needed them._

_“Tony?”_

_“I’m gonna keep it short and sweet: I need Barnes.”_

_Just like that, an arctic chill seized Steve. Even now Tony wanted to hunt Bucky. “Not happening, you_ know _it’s not.”_

_“Listen here, Rogers.” There was something alien in Tony’s voice and Steve couldn’t pinpoint what it was. “You sent the phone for me to call when I needed. I need Barnes.”_

_“I won’t let you hurt him, Tony.”_

_The unease didn’t let up and Steve was rooted to the mattress, more than ready to drop the call and toss the phone but unable to do so._

_"_ Hurt _? Is your old age finally catching up with you? Are you going deaf? Senile?_ I. Need. James Barnes. _I’m sure T’Challa can smuggle you out of Wakanda and into New York without much trouble.”_

What? _Either he had made a noise or his silence was too telling, because the derisive snort on the other side of the line was mocking. “Yeah, people do forget I’m a genius, it happens. Look, Rogers, you wanna play protective nanny for Barnes, fine by me. Just get him stateside. ASAP.” Said the man he had fought an invasion with, that he’d gone to war against. Adding as an afterthought, “Goodnight,_ Captain. _”_

_Then the line was dead. Tony was gone, just as suddenly as he’d come._

_It was in the early hours of the day, after the sun had risen, when Steve moved again._

_Could Tony be this vindictive? Siberia came to mind. Rage filled and wounded animal Tony Stark, striking again and again until Steve almost put him down._

_Then there was the fact that Tony Stark would hardly use the word_ need _. But what could he need from Bucky if not retribution?_

_Steve got ready to seek King T’Challa’s council._

*__-~*~-__*

Tony sighed, like he’d been doing for the past week, and let the phone hit the countertop. Trying to keep Ross off his back, setting up the rooms, keeping up with SI and working on the damned Accords. Thankful for Rhodey, for Pepper, Happy, Vision and even Peter, that had lent a hand with the kids.

“You can’t just keep calling them Mr. Tiny, Mr. Grumpy and Baby girl, Tony.” Rhodey pointed out, while Tony prepared bottles and pureed some pumpkin and other healthy veggies for his progeny.

“I know that, Honeybear.” Mr. Grumpy had a proclivity towards strawberries, so Tony made sure to mix some into his formula and chill the remaining chunks for the little guy to munch on. “Names aren’t easy.”

“What are you talking about, Tones?” Rhodes scoffed as he dutifully arranged the bottles and baby snacks accordingly in the fridge’s shelves. “You must have a list or two about names alone. I know you, remember?”

“Yeah, but all those lists are outdated and one of them is full of tribute names; Peggy, Edwin, Maria…”

“What’s wrong with those?”

Tony turned to Rhodey, who was leaning against the counter, waiting him out. “They are the names of dead people. I don’t want them to fill anybody’s shoes, yeah it’d be nice to name my daughter Maria or Margaret because those women were incredible and brave. But I want to give her a clean slate, something that is solely hers.” He explains and at Rhodey’s nod of understanding, he finishes. “Also, I would never do one of my kids the disservice of being called Howard or Grant.”

“Or Rupert.” Rhodey adds mulishly.

“That’s how kids get beat up. Imagine one of them being named after their other parent.” He mock-shudders. “Buchanan, Jesus!”

“Speaking of…”

“I called Rogers, it’s done.” And he can feel his muscles tensing up.

 

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine.” Tony knows this is the wrong thing to say, but it’s an automatic response to the state of his well-being. Rhodey’s reaction doesn’t disappoint, when he moves from his easy posture faster than anyone with leg braces normally would.

“Bullshit!” He spits, because Rhodes is angry on his behalf, he is mad over Siberia and the letter, he is mad at the ease of their abandonment, he is angry that Tony is not.

“Rhodey, don’t.” Tony pleads, this is his fight and he must go alone. He is warmed by the sentiment though. “I honestly don’t know, ok? I- everything is jumbled up and right now is _really_ not the time for me to get introspective with my feelings.”

Huffing, because Rhodey was a huffer when giving into Tony’s whims. “Alright,” he said, narrowing his eyes when Tony grinned. “But don’t think you’re gonna outrun this, Stank.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Sourpatch.”

_-~*~-_

“I never thought I’d see the Self-rescuing Princess Tony Stark, be so good with babies.”

“You faith astounds me, Happy. No, really, I’m floored.” Tony snarked, one arm holding onto his baby girl and reaching for the coffeepot with the other. His blue eyed wonder seemed enraptured by the snark-fest going on.

“Oh, give her to me.” At Tony’s quirked brow, Happy elaborated. “You’re under caffeinated and too distracted by the beautiful little poppy on your arm.”

Tony whipped his head to the side, eyes wide, staring directly at the kid and grinned. “You hear that, kiddo? How does Fiorella sound, hm?” The enthusiastic little hands pulling at his shirt were a positive sign in his books. “You like it? Fiorella.”

“Babbo!”

“Oh shit!” Happy’s hands are around Fiorella just as quick as Tony’s hold slackens, and he has never been gladder for the man. His shock must be more than evident if the little smile Happy has is anything to go by. “ _Cosa_?”

“Babbo, Babbo!” She squeals, full of excitement and Tony’s heart is filled to burst.

“First word?” Happy asks, watching the two Starks grinning like loons at each other. “Good God, less than a week here and the kid is already talking.”

Tony’s laughter is booming with a tinge of hysteria. “Well Hapster, we Starks are excellent communicators, aren’t we, Fiorella?”

“Babbo, Babbo!”

“ _S_ _i, cara. Io sono il babbo, e lui è lo zio Happy._ ” Fiorella just claps her pudgy hands and jumps in place.

Their celebration is cut short by Pepper’s call. “They are here.”

_-~*~-_

Tony suits up, under Rhodey’s watchful gaze and the wandering eyes of his kids; if all goes as planned, they won’t be just his anymore and he doesn’t know how to feel about that.

“You sure you’re gonna be ok by yourself?” Rhodey asks for the 10th time in less than twenty minutes. Tony rolls his eyes and goes about the knots of his tie.

“Yes, Rhodey. Also, Pepper will be there with me.” Rhodey nods as he sits among the younger Starks. “Now, remember Mr. Grumpy’s strawberries and Mr. Tiny won’t drink his bottle without being wrapped in his blanket. Fiorella likes the cinnamon roll to take naps and--”

“Tony,” He stops mid-ramble and takes a deep breath. Tony hasn’t been away from the kids since he found them, never too far away and the few times he hasn’t been in their vicinity, they’ve been napping. “They’re gonna be fine. Vision is on his way and Happy is gonna keep me company. Now go, before Pepper decides to get her hands on them.”

“I should do that, right?” Sticking his thumb in the door’s direction. Tony takes a moment to pull himself together and channel his showman persona. But then, he looks down and his three reasons to go through this shit show are there; safe and in reaching distance. He crouches, reaching for Mr. Tiny’s uncovered foot and planting a kiss there, Mr. Grumpy gets one on the middle of his belly and Fiorella on her cheek. “Be good for _zio Rhodey, va bene?_ ”

“Go.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He turns on his heels and waves, fighting the instinct of going back into that room where the people he treasures most are. “Going.”

He takes the R-8 to Stark Tower and enters the premises with the expected Stark flare, the elevator climbs and Tony’s mask falls in place. The meeting is scheduled under the guise of a business venture to be explored between Stark Industries and Wakanda, which justifies King T’Challa and his Dora Milaje. Meanwhile, Barnes and Rogers are supposed to make their way from the landing pad into the penthouse floor, where they all shall converge.

Pepper, T’Challa and two of his guards are already waiting when Tony gets there, he takes a fortifying breath and tackles on.

“Morning Ms. Potts, Majesty, Ladies.” He plows through with the fakest smile on his face and hopes that he doesn’t get a face cramp.

“Doctor Stark.”

Tony shakes his head with vigor and fights a shudder, fuck he does detest formal addressing, yuck! “No, please. I insist if you can’t call me Tony, my last name will suffice.” Apparently his discomfort was amusing to the rest of his company, even Pepper looked like she was fighting a smile. “Shall we pretend to talk or should we get this show on the road?”

“I do have some matters to discuss.” T’Challa interjects with royal poise as if Tony hadn’t already seen him and his dramatics in action.

“Are they of urgent nature or can it wait until this mess is sorted?”  The Dora Milaje await their King’s answer, their eyes centered on him and Pepper. T’Challa’s seemly benevolent head tilt is enough for everyone in the room to get moving. Tony offers Pepper his arm with galant flourish. “Follow me then.”

“I have news.” He mutters, tone upbeat and he can’t really hide his grin.

“Yeah?”

“How packed is your schedule today?” Arching his eyebrow for emphasis. Pepper huffs.

“Light.”

“You should come over for dinner then, we miss you.” Ain’t that the truth? Even when Pepper has done her best to visit, bringing the dreaded paperwork, hounding him through emails, and unsubtly leaving books on baby names. Perhaps he was being a bit rude to the Wankandans, all the same, he’d play diplomatic asshole some other time.

Stark men have iron in their bones, Tony reminded himself when he strode into his penthouse, a place he inhabited, what seems a lifetime ago, and now felt so foreign. He avoided grinding his teeth at the sight of Steve, but it was a chore. Pepper had no qualms about showing her displeasure if the set of her eyebrows was anything to go by.

“Rogers.” Hands behind him and back straight, shoulders set in faux open stance; his body was a map of non-verbal misdirection. Thankfully the Captain didn’t try to get closer into his space. “Barnes?”

All he got in response was narrowed eyes and a defensive pose, besides him Pepper went stiff as she was getting ready to spring at the super soldier; Tony remembered she could go toe-to-toe against Steve with no problem and suppressed a shark like grin. Pepper would drag his ass. But there, from the little casted shadows Barnes emerged, not as defensive as his best friend but not meek or intimidated by the tense atmosphere.

“Stark.”

“Barnes.” It seemed the world had fallen away and leaving just the two of them in the room, sizing each other up. Tony expected to feel the wisps of anger but he just felt hollow in the space the fire of rage had burned through old grief. “Let’s not do pleasantries and say we did, ok?”

Bucky’s expression was between a scowl and a smirk, something that shouldn’t work but translated clearly; apparently something mastered by men from the 40’s. “Fine by me.”

“Great.” There was an edge in Tony’s tone, as if he was showing his teeth. “Entertain yourselves while I catch the Sergeant up on the mission.”

“Mission?” Steve interjected, moving closer to Bucky like a shield. “You didn’t say anything about a mission, Tony. We agreed to come here---”

 

“Look _Captain_ . Why don’t you and your merry band of fugitives get comfortable _here_.” It wasn’t a request and they all knew it, Steve’s minute twitch confirming the others’ presence in the Tower and his unwillingness to part from his BFTTC*. Could they be any more predictable? Jeez. “Let Barnes talk for himself, for once.”

“I trust Bucky.”  

“Don’t I know it.” Tony turns his face to Pepper in askance ‘Can you believe this guy?’ “Now, if you’d follow me.”

“Where? I bet your secretary already knows or she wouldn’t be here.” Bucky’s tone edged on petulant and Tony would shoulder it no problem, but no one messed with his Pepper.

Steve visibly winced when Tony whirled on his best friend, Bucky had dared to touch the “very very red sparkly neon No No” button, he was on his own this once. “Listen well, Cryofreeze Toy Soldier, because I’m only gonna say this once. She is my CEO, a goddess in human skin, her name is Virginia Potts and you better not forget her name or ever again refer to her as my secretary; the preservation of your remaining limbs befall on this.”

“Are you threatening me?”

This time around Tony’s smile was all teeth and a promise of blood and mayhem. “No, I’m promising, if you ever, by ignorance or otherwise, disrespect Ms. Potts, I won’t hesitate to remove your anachronic head from your shoulders.” The volume and tone of his voice was calm, sort of detached. “Do we understand each other?”

Bucky watched everyone in the room, they were waiting on his answer, so he chanced a look at Ms. Potts. Her face was impassive but her eyes seemed ablaze, much like Stark’s when he talked about beheading him; like people that had held Death in their hands and weren’t all that hesitant to do it again. He’d seen Tony Stark in action and knew better than to underestimate him. Bucky nodded to Ms. Potts, a silent apology. “Understood.”

Tony clapped his hands with a little swing and started moving like the last minute hadn’t happen. “Perfect. Better if we get a move on.”

Dismissing, is what Bucky would catalog the man’s attitude as, like they weren’t worth his time or attention. This irked him, but he kept his mouth shut and moved.

They took the stairs, which was a good choice since they didn’t trust each other and Siberia had only wrought bad blood between them. “Through here.”

Tony went in first, the space coming alight with a snap of his finger, his steps echoed and Bucky studied the place; perhaps at one time it had housed more than a translucent table and two chairs at opposite ends. “By all means, take a seat.”

Choosing the one closer to the door, Bucky’s eyes followed Tony, as the man unbuttoned his suit jacket and took the other chair. The silence stretched between them like a living thing, Bucky studied Tony; his face, the micro-expressions filtering through his dark eyes, his posture. He reigned in a flinch when Tony’s hand went into his suit’s pocket. “Wha-?”

“Relax, will you.” Tony snapped, like he was tired of Bucky’s discomfort and made a half hearted spectacle of revealing a sleek, black cube.

Annoyed by his own skittishness, Bucky scowled and rested his back against the chair. “Is this some sort of show-and-tell?”

“Are you cheeky, Sargeant?”

“I’m at risk.” Bucky hissed. “I still have a coded trigger that turns me into a weapon and danger. You had me pulled out of Cryo before anyone figured a way to get to get rid of the Winter Soldier programming, pardon me if I don’t feel like having foreplay before the main event, Mr. Stark.”

“Refreshing, this is refreshing.” Tony laughs, as if Bucky had missed the small shudder when he mentioned being frozen, like he could distract Bucky from the graveness of everything so far. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., blackout and scramble. Do a sweep too, this is a private conversation and until I deem otherwise, so it should stay.”

“On it, Boss.”

“Take a lunch break yourself.”

“Tony…”

“Don’t argue with me, Fry-bean.”

“Understood, Boss.”

“What’s that all about?” Bucky was understandably tense with the coded instructions. Tony Stark was a dangerous individual in and out of that suit of armor he dons, Bucky knows this and he is man enough to know that there is a slight chance that Tony can take him out.

“That?” and again with the dismissiveness. “I’m just ensuring your companions don’t peek at the sensitive information of our conversation. Their bio-metric signatures are still on F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s database, which means she’ll make certain they can’t access this office physically or electronically.”

Bucky stands menacingly and looms from his end of the table. “You have us trapped in here!” He wants to go for the knife inside his boot and gouge the man’s eyes out. It won’t accomplish anything, but maybe he’d feel less like a cornered animal in a glass cage. “There are more honorable ways to get me alone to kill me, Stark.”

Tony rolls his eyes, because he is so fucking done with their paranoid bullshit. “Sit your goddamn ass down, Barnes. And keep your balls and knives in place.” Tony says, uncrossing his legs to lean forward and he looks more intimidating than Bucky and his righteous indignation. “And yes, we’re closed in. Also, I wouldn’t be talking about honor if I were you.”

“Stark--” The words are like a slap in the face, Bucky almost chokes with the stifling memories.

“Whatever, I don’t care.” Again Tony waves a hand, and this time there’s a beep and the table lights up. “I asked for you, because...look.”

Bucky does and this time he does choke. Technicolor depictions of what looks like an illicit laboratory; a circus of horrors Stark had come across if he was a betting man. It’s the tanks that almost sent him running; they’re too small to fit a fully grown man… “Wha--what is this? Where did you--”

“Now you understand why it had to be you?” Tony is not cruel nor pitying. “We found this in Qaanaaq, Greenland about 10 days ago. Human experimentation, possible cloning; bioengineering. It’s a breeding lab, Barnes.”

“Breeding?” He didn’t, couldn’t understand. Did it mean-- “They were---”

“Making babies? Yes.” Tony allows Bucky some sort of reprieve, the man looks ready to hurl all over the table, he’s pale and his eyes are shuttered. Like he needs an impersonal mind frame to deal with the information.

“Why am I here? Me specifically, why not Steve or your missing friend Dr. Banner?” Bucky asks minutes later, when he feels more able to breathe without the waves of nausea and panic. “What or who made you call on your parents’ executioner?”

Tony bites the inside of his cheek, at the fleeting rage; quick and visceral. Because he knows Barnes is just lashing out without a clear target. “The tanks. I don’t know how, though I have a vague idea.” He taps the table with rapid fire movements and then the glass cylinders are back, in a close up. Tony swipes the picture and it moves to Bucky’s end.

He watches as Bucky reads the labels and knows the exact moment to pounce. “Three splicing subjects were fully successful. Their combined DNA makes them mine and…”

“Mine.” Bucky breathes. His blue grey eyes wide, unable to hide his emotions behind the shields the brainwashing had left. He stood again, and began pacing the space. “How… Are they ok?”

“For now, yeah.” Tony didn’t relax, but did move his hand off the watch on his opposite wrist. “I have a secure location, where I’m staying with them. But that won’t be enough soon.”

“That’s why you called, isn’t it? For them?”

“Whoever has a hand in this, they’ll want the kids back.” Tony’s eyes seemed full of shadows when Bucky chanced a look. “They are the successes, shit, Barnes that place was full of failed attempts. These people had our DNA, most likely blood, I’d hazard a guess and say HYDRA was involved somehow, because they had yours too.”

Both of them were out of breath, lost in their own internal arguments about the situation, and now that Bucky was actively searching, he could see the wear and tear on Tony’s posture; the man looked tired, in every sense of the word.

“You didn’t report your findings, didja?”

“Of course I did.” The smirk on Tony’s face, made Bucky want to laugh, what a little shit. “I did find what looked like an abandoned base of operations, and that when we got there the place had been trashed. Nothing substantial to link any shadow organization.”

Two beeps and Bucky had the photographical evidence of Tony’s official statement. “Aren’t you thorough?”

“Aren’t you glad?”

Bucky huffed, watched the screen and sat down, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Alright, how is this gonna go?”

Tony tapped the cube and the table went dark. “For obvious reasons neither the Tower nor the compound are options here. Since the mess with The Accords, Ross has eyes out for any of you that might be bold enough to come Stateside. Luckily, I’m filthy rich, a genius and a media brat; hardly anyone looks too close at my eccentricities.”

At Bucky’s impassive expression Tony elaborated. “Means, the same way T’Challa got you here, I’ll get you to the kids and no one will be the wiser.”

“You’d let me see them?”

“They’re your kids too, Barnes.” Tony sounds resigned to that fact. “No matter how unconventional this is or how they came to be; they need you, they need us; their parents to keep them safe.”

A brief interval of silence later, Bucky gave. “We can’t do this by ourselves, you know that, right?”

And Tony resigned himself for what was coming. “They say it takes a village.”

_-~*~-_

When Tony and Bucky came out, the rest of the gang looked on edge, while Pepper and T’Challa talked calmly on the side, most likely discussing some business venues.

Steve sprung from the sofa at their return, eyes roaming from head to toe and back again. “Everything alright, fellas?”

Bucky’s face was twisted in a grimace, he nodded all the same; Tony didn’t even bother. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. will brief you.”

“For what exactly?” asked Clint, who remained sprawled over the sofa like a lazy cat, Tony continued making his way to the elevators, followed by Bucky.

“Again, F.R.I.D.A.Y. will provide the intel.” Tony repeated to the room at large. “Happy will do the transport afterwards.”

Before any of them could react, the elevator doors closed with Bucky and Tony inside; Steve about to leap for it but a hand closed like a vice on his wrist, he glared at it and reared up to read whoever it was the “Riot Act”, mouth open full of indignation, “Just--”

Steve stared dumbfounded at Pepper. “I’d advise you to stay put, Captain Rogers.” She said primly, tightening her hold on him when he subtly tried to shake it off. He could have sworn her eyes flashed a hot shade of orange before she let go. “I think they’re ready for you, F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

“Glad to oblige, Miss Potts.” Chimed the A.I. “Mission Report....”

They stayed.

_-~*~-_

The ride to the Mansion was fraught with silence, and even though it made them uncomfortable, Tony refused to break it. Barnes on the passenger side, looked like a statue except for his fingers; as if he was handling an invisible gun.

Didn’t even had a comment on Tony’s proclivity for speed it seemed. Even Tony had a comment for his speeding habit.

Oh ducking hell!

The hidden garage door at the end of the tunnel allowed him to breathe easier, and just like before, Bucky followed him.

“Welcome home, Boss.”

“Where is everyone, Fry?”

“Colonel Honeybear is in the kitchen quote-unquote “Feeding your spawns,” Boss. Their food intake has increased in the last 72 hours.”

Tony hummed, “Mark it down, dear. We’ll compare notes later.” Bucky arched a brow, “I’m monitoring their changes; a week ago they would eat every 3 hours, a bottle each. Now, Fiorella is getting into solids and the boys are a 2 bottles and 1 and half.”

Bucky watched as Tony shed his jacket, vest and tie, as he undid his cuffs and rolled his shirt and unbuttoned the collar. Funny how so little could change the aura of a person. He didn’t think Tony trusted him for a minute, but needs must apparently.

“Where are my little munchkins?” He strode into the kitchen of the huge mansion, arms wide open and a big smile on his face. Colonel James Rhodes turned, carrying a little baby and doing his best to gesture at the other occupants. “Oh, _ciao carini, lo zio è stato bravo con voi, siete stati bravi col zio Rhodey?_ ”

“You know my italian extends to restaurant menus, man. Are you talking trash about me again, Stank?” But the Colonel wasn’t looking at Tony anymore, his head was tilted, “is your father saying bad things about me, Baby Girl? ‘Cause let me tell you, I have stories about your old man that can fill a library.”

“Bite your sour tongue! My kids are not allowed to hear those stories until they’re at _least_ 30.”

“Thirty?” Rhodey’s laughs was a raucous thing. “Be real, Tones. With any luck they’ll get to grade school before one of your adventures reach them.”

“I’ll--”

“And you’re banned from using F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s little mercs to crash the Internet.”

Bucky couldn’t see Tony but he could swear the man was pouting. It made him wanna chuckle, the little ridiculous domestic scene, but the unease of not belonging closed in first. This was not his place, Stark should have never asked to get him out of Cryo, he…

“Babbo!” The high pitched giggle brought him out of his spiral, the sound was crystalline and thanks to his enhancements it surrounded him; it was something wholly innocent and pure. And there was his answer.

“Beautiful little flower of mine, just you wait until _zia_ Pepper hears about you talking!” Tony did half a spin before the lightness of the room was suffused in reality. The man stopped with a little girl in his arms, his hands cradling her to his chest while her little ones were clamped on his forearm.

Bucky felt like his chest was too tight when his eyes landed on her bright blues. Jesus! Holy fuck, he couldn’t breathe, it felt like he’d never be able to again. Like the longer he looked at her, the less anything else seemed to matter.

“Hi.” Bucky’s voice was a wispy thing, something soft and involuntary, like breathing. She blinked her wide bright eyes and the spell broke but he was already a goner.

“Another one bites the dust.” Murmurs Rhodey, but Bucky pays him no mind at all.

“ _Chi?_ ” Bucky stops and honestly he wasn’t aware of moving in the first place. But her voice makes him stand frozen in place, her gaze is on Tony.

“That, my darling is Sergeant James “Bucky” Barnes,” Tony sways her a bit and kisses her hair, before his eyes are on him too. “He’s your Daddy.”

“Dady?” She stumbles over the word.

“Mmhm.” Tony agrees and to Bucky’s utter surprise she gives him a smile. God Almighty, he is so gone and if Tony’s smile is anything to go by, he knows.

_-~*~-_

Eventually, lunch is done and the kids seem satisfied. Bucky thought coming face to face with Fiorella had been breathtaking, until he saw the boys. He couldn’t remember feeling so breathless and in love and so terrified all at the same time.

“He has your eyes” and “Lord have mercy, he’s so small. Is that normal?” he had marveled at the babies and even sat down close to them, but refused to touch or hold them. Bucky wasn’t sure who he was anymore, but sudden parenthood wasn’t gonna make him less of a danger.

“You’re doing it again.” Tony said without really looking away from his tablet.

“Doing what?” And yeah, his voice was gruff, his face settled in a scowl but the other man was hardly intimidated.

“Your hand, like you’re holding a weapon.” It made Bucky twitch, he wasn’t aware of this, how could he not? He’d been trained and tortured into being fully cognizant not only of others but himself. “Relax, Barnes. Everyone has a tell, it’s only human.”

He wanted to snarl at Tony that he was hardly human, remind him of why he’d gone after him with the fire of an avenging archangel a few months ago, he wanted to lash out, badly.

The door opening and a myriad of footsteps seem to startle and upset the kids, who apparently didn’t take kindly to all that noise in their home. “Unbelieveable! Hey you, grab Fiorella and follow me.”

“I- That’s not wise.”

“I’m not asking you for fortune cookie wisdom here.” Tony grabbed the smallest baby first, securing him in the crook of his arm before going for the other, who looked ready to bring the mansion down if his reddened face was any indication. “Now, pick my kid up and do as I say.”

With trepidation Bucky moved onto his knees and reached for the girl. “Can’t you walk, toddle?”

Fiorella looked on but it was her father who answered, “Not yet, she can’t. Now, move before the stampede reaches this room and all of them decide to start crying.”

Bucky moved. He didn’t permit himself to overthink it, all the same he was astonished with how light she was, like a feather. Fiorella held onto his shirt as he hugged her close to the bulk of his body. “Let’s follow your dad, yeah?”

He hurried along in case she got upset and almost lost his footing when she laid her fragile little head on his shoulder with an approving coo.

“Shit, it’s true.” He heard Clint say as they turned on a hallway and disappeared.

_-~*~-_

Tony moved with professional precision, kids were a bit like sharks, they can smell fear. Wait, no, those are dogs. Fear was to babies what blood was to a shark; so he moved around their nursery in hopes that his middle kid didn’t go full earsplitting banshee on him. No dice.

He wasn’t wet, though his brother was, he wasn’t hungry; the kid was just cranky because of the disruption in his lazy after meal haze. “Oh Crap, really? You have the disposition of a crabby old man and you don’t even have a full set of teeth.”

“Is that suppose to help?” Ha, Barnes thought it was funny, Tony should let the kid unleash his wrath on him.

“This is nothing,” Tony gestured at the fussing 10 month old, who’s hands were in little fists and his eyes were void of tears, “I bet he could call on the Final Jud---Ha ha.”

Tony’s sudden stop didn’t make any sense to Bucky, who was still holding onto the oldest. Tony picked up the kid under his arms -still bunched into fist- and held him to the light. “I dub thee, Gabriel. Naaaaaaants ingonyama bagithi baba~” and then, then he turned the baby, Gabriel, around and blew on his face.

The kid was so shocked at the audacity of his clearly crazy father, he stopped crying. Tony grinned like an honest-to-God madman and brought Gabriel down to his chest.

“Oh yeah, Gabriel suits you, doesn’t it?” Tony cooed at the child while he rocked back and forth like an ocean wave.

“You’re batty.”

Tony’s grin was the farthest thing from reassuring. “You catch up quick.”

_-~*~-_

After a whole ordeal with baby powder and peeing and giggles, Tony and Bucky made their way back to where the rest of the non-Avengers were gathered, along with Pepper, Rhodey and Happy.

“You changed.”

Tony glared at Rhodey, “While you were sunbathing by the pool, Honeybear. I was being peed on by my own flesh and blood.”

Rhodey didn’t even pretend to hide his amusement. “Who was it?”

“Bet you 20 bucks it was Two-teeth-“Fight Me”-Stark.” Happy interjected before Tony could answer.

“Too easy, I’ll take that bet.”

“I’m not so sure, maybe it was our darling girl.” This was coming from Pepper, High Betrayal. Tony’s hand were to his chest, scandalized.

“You would besmirch my beautiful princess’ name like that, Pepper. How Dare You?”

Pepper chortled. “Like anything could do that.”

“It was the tiny one.” Bucky blurted and they all stopped, eyes zeroed on him. It made him feel like a bug under a microscope. These were Tony’s people and he had no right to intrude in their easy camaraderie.

“Bullshit!” Jumped in Rhodey, he looked ready to sock Bucky in the jaw. “That baby is sweeter than apple pie a la mode.”

“Barnes speaketh the truth.” Tony adds with flourish to his friends, who apparently were still stunned by the news.

“I think he’s very ticklish.” Bucky observed, when the others didn’t seem put out by him.

“Or a low-key asshole.” Muttered Tony with a wry smile.

“That’s my godson, damnit!” Came joyously from Rhodey as he high-fived Happy.

“Yeah, yeah take credit.” Tony  turned his nose all haughty in the air and sniffed, “wait ‘til he turns on you, Sourpatch, just you wait.”

“Aw, feeling a little sensitive after your impromptu baptism?” Rhodey prodded because he was an asshole and he could and would get away with it.

“Why are we friends again?”

“Because I roast you in languages that you can understand.”

“Jeez, that was one time Rhodey.” Tony threw his hands up, “do like Elsa and…”

“Don’t you dare--”

“Let it go.” Finished Tony with a smirk, the same smugness one wears when doing something underhanded.

“Fuck you too, Anthony! Now I’m gonna have that damn song stuck in my head for the next week.” Rhodey grumbled and griped. “You’re an asshole and I’m happy your tiny sweet son peed all over your smug face, Stank.”

“Aw, Honeybear,” Tony draped his arm over Rhodey’s shoulder and pulled him in. “I’m sure PT is gonna be a blast.”

“Let me go, I’m getting my beer.” He shook off Tony and moved to the kitchen, but Bucky could hear him sing under his breath, “the past is in the past~ goddamnit.”

“Embrace your inner Disney Princess, Rhodey!” Tony shouted, because as pointed out many times, by many different people; he was an asshole.

Maybe once, they could have been friends, Bucky thought as Pepper shook her head and Happy told her which Disney Princess he felt represented him better.

“So, who else is thinking this is some Twilight Zone shit? Show of hands.” Surprisingly, it was Sam who asked, well not _that_ surprising. Scott and Clint showed hands enthusiastically, Wanda and Steve looked bemused and their hands came to their chest. Bucky didn’t really get the reference.

“Is anybody gonna talk about the big elephant in the room?” Scott said casually, and Tony’s easy demeanor shifted, tilting his head as he was hearing things that came from an unknown source.

“Which one? We got Neon Pink, Barbie Pink, Was-it-the-lemonade-or-am-I-tripping psychedelic Pink, that’s you by the way.” And there was the smile again, it made Bucky’s skin crawl, but Scott didn’t seem to have that problem.

“The Baby Pink one,” Scott said easily, like they were gonna discuss sports stats over beer and wings.

Pepper handed Tony a tablet for him to look over and graciously accepted Happy’s offered seat, Rhodey sat besides Happy, Tony remained standing and before anything was said, Vision phased through the ceiling. “Doors, Vision. We learned about this, remember?”

“Apologies,” Shot Vision, his eyes going to Wanda for a brief moment before turning to Tony, “F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed me of the arrival and I thought my presence was warranted. Unless you think otherwise.”

“There’s no crisis, yet.” Tony soothed, and at Vision’s curious gaze, he added, “They’re in the nursery watching the stars if you wanna say hello.”

“Perhaps later.” Tony patted him in the back and moved to address the room at large.

“This is the exclusive Q&A on the Greenland Baby Explosion, so, any questions?” There went the man with the hand clapping again. Bucky really didn’t want to be here, there was a room with 3 small people that had no great expectations of him. All they wanted was to be held, fed, changed and lulled to sleep.

“How many were there?” Bucky started at Steve’s question, there was something raw and vulnerable and angry; he couldn’t blame the guy, they had all been violated in this fiasco. He felt for Steve. For them all.

“Honestly, I lost count after the third dozen.”

“They were 226 artificial wombs with various genetic combination of the first 5 Avengers.” Recited Vision, no real inflection in his voice.

“Five?” Wondered Sam, removing his hands face. “Weren’t you all six?”

“Anthony Stark- Iron Man, Natasha Romanoff- Black Widow, Clinton Barton- Hawkeye, Steven Rogers- Captain America and Robert Bruce Banner- Hulk.” Vision countered, “We believe Thor’s DNA for its alien origin was either too unstable or unattainable.”

“That doesn’t explain why they had Bucky’s?” By. Darwin’s Ashes! Was the man’s old age catching up with him? Why, Steve, why must you ask the obvious?

“HYDRA inside SHIELD for decades ring any bells?” Tony felt two different sets of hands on him; Pepper (Don’t be an antagonistic asshole, Tony) and Rhodey (Keep a lid on the Sarcasm, Tone), they all knew Happy was there for the possibility of bloodshed, crazy egg. “Anyway, our expedition to the secret lab of horrors thrust me and consequently Barnes here, into Parenthoodville, which is why you’re all here.”

“Wait. The kids are yours, for real?” Clint jumped at Tony, Sam shook his head as five pair of eyes turned to glare at the archer. “Lord have mercy.”

“Someone call CPS.” murmured Scott.

“If I were you, I’d look in the mirror before even thinking about throwing stones at my glass house, Barton, Insect Man.” Tony’s facade splayed over the floor and in place a very cold anger. (“It’s Ant-Man.”) “Whatever, I don’t care. If you’re all here it’s because I deemed you privy with the information. Also because, you were gonna follow anyway. Don’t think for a second you have any grounds to be critics when you easily tossed your families aside.”

“Tony, why didn’t _you_ tell me?” Steve’s voice cut through the chaos of the room and Bucky knew that whatever came next was not going to be pretty. “I mean, yes you called, but…”

“I. Don’t. Trust. You.” Tony enunciates plainly and continues before he falters, like he can’t give Steve an inch, like he won’t. “A man who had the gall to call himself my friend and demand my transparency; who looked me in the eyes for two whole years without telling me the truth about how I became an orphan. I don’t trust you, much less with something as important as the wellfare of my children, _Captain_.”

Steve set his jaw in that stubborn way of his, ready to defend himself tooth and nail, if possible. “I told you--”

“Don’t.” There’s such finality in Tony’s voice. Steve closes his mouth and refuses to break eye contact with Tony, “I read what you had to say, “Faith in individuals” and clearly I was never one to you.”

“Tony,” Pepper sounded heartbroken as she reached for him.

“No, see. That’s just the thing, it wasn’t until that very line that I realized I’ve been on his shit list from the get go. Every single person in this room can fuck up, massively, and they’ll still have something redeemable in his eyes, but me? Ha, big fucking chance.”

“You are my friend, Tony!” Steve exclaims, his voice booming. “That’s why we’re here, we all came when you called, Tony. We’re here…”

Tony just shakes his head and Bucky doesn’t miss the fingers drumming over his chest. “Just...stop.” Tony looks at the people in his corner, perhaps the only ones he has on his side and gives. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. or Vision can guide you to the rooms, pick whichever you want for however long you might stay.”

“Stark?” Bucky’s tone is hesitant at best, meek if someone dares to use the correct term.

“I’ve set your room close to theirs, it has the same equipment for monitoring them I have in mine, Rhodey or Happy can tell you about the shelving system for their meals. Anything else, ask F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

Without a backwards glance, Tony Stark left the room.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm [here](http://androidtwin.tumblr.com/) come on by!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Wallpaper] Let Us Love, In Reverse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8227663) by [Knowmefirst](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Knowmefirst/pseuds/Knowmefirst)




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